An 85-year-old primary school in Shanghai made a remarkable journey of 62 meters (203 feet) and turned 21 degrees in October, thanks to a pioneering “walking machine” technology. The relocation, finished on October 15, took 18 days and was the first time this method was used on a historical building in the city.
Engineers equipped the five-story Lagena Primary School with 198 mobile supports, explained Lan, chief technical supervisor for this project. His firm, Shanghai Evolution Shift, came up with the technology in 2018. These supports act like robotic legs, moving up and down to mimic a human step, with sensors steering the building’s path. Lan likened it to “giving the building crutches so it can stand up and then walk.”
Workers first excavated around the school to place the supports. After cutting the building’s pillars, the robotic legs lifted the school, starting its slow trek. The relocation made room for a new commercial and office complex, expected to be ready by 2023. The old school building will now serve as a center for heritage protection and cultural education.
China’s rapid growth often means historic buildings are torn down for new developments, causing concern over losing architectural heritage. This disregard for historical structures traces back to Mao Zedong’s time, especially during the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, when many were destroyed.
After Mao’s death in 1976, calls for preserving architecture resurfaced. The government began protecting numerous structures and passed a heritage preservation law in the 1980s. Yet, urbanization still poses threats as developers often prefer new construction.
For example, in Beijing, over 1,000 acres of historic alleys and courtyard homes vanished between 1990 and 2010, reports China Daily. By the early 2000s, cities like Nanjing and Beijing started drafting long-term plans to safeguard remaining historic sites, implementing protections and limiting developers.
Conservation efforts have been varied. Beijing converted a dilapidated temple into a restaurant and gallery, while Nanjing restored a 1930s cinema for contemporary use. In 2019, Shanghai unveiled Tank Shanghai, an arts center housed in revamped oil tanks. Lan pointed out that though relocation isn’t ideal, it’s better than demolition, adding that the central government now stresses preserving historical buildings.
Shanghai is known as China’s most forward-thinking city in heritage preservation. It has maintained 1930s buildings in the Bund district and 19th-century shikumen (stone gate) houses in the revamped Xintiandi area. The city has also relocated old buildings before, like the 1930 Shanghai Concert Hall, which was moved over 66 meters (217 feet) in 2003, and the Zhengguanghe Building, a six-story warehouse shifted 38 meters (125 feet) in 2013.
In 2018, Shanghai moved a 90-year-old building in the Hongkou district, then its most complex project of this kind. The Lagena Primary School, weighing 7,600 tons, posed new challenges with its T-shape, unlike previous square or rectangular structures. This irregular shape, coupled with the need for a curved path and a 21-degree rotation, required the innovative “walking machine” method. Lan mentioned his company is unique in moving structures along a curve. He didn’t disclose the project’s exact cost but said relocation is generally cheaper than demolition.
